Short message service support over a packet-switched telephony network

• US 6,611,516 B1
• Filed: 06/21/1999
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Siemens Networks GmbH & Company KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Virtanen, Jarmo Johannes, Einola, Heikki Juhani, Koskivirta, Tero, Pirkola, Juha Matti, Mikkonen, Aki Petteri
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, TRI H
• Application Number:
  US09/337,335
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/355, 370/357, 370/331, 370/401, 370/389, 370/465, 370/466, 370/328, 370/349, 370/310, 709/249, 709/913, 455/432, 455/433, 455/435, 455/436, 455/466, 455/445, 455/412, 455/414
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided that includes a cellular network, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and a mobile IP-telephony network (MIPTN). Both the cellular network and the MIPTN include a Home Function and one or more visited Functions. MIPTN subscribers can roam within the MIPTN. Also, a Gateway Function interfaces the PSTN and the MIPTN to allow roaming between the cellular network and the MIPTN. The Gateway Function performs a dynamic mapping function between PSTN/cellular addresses (e.g., in E.16440 format) and MIPTN addresses (e.g., IP addresses) to allow registration and call delivery for subscribers roaming between the cellular network and the MIPTN. A similar type of Gateway Function also allows Short Message Service (SMS) messages to be delivered over the MIPTN as well.

Claims

1. A method of delivering a short message over a packet-switched telephony network comprising:

receiving a short message, including a subscriber identification which identifies a cellular subscriber to receive the short message;

forwarding the short message and subscriber identification to a first gateway function;

the first gateway function obtaining subscriber location information from the subscriber'"'"'s cellular home function, the location information including a cellular network address of a second gateway function through which the subscriber can be reached;

forwarding the short message and the subscriber identification to the second gateway function;

the second gateway function using a dynamic mapping obtained during registration to identify a packet-switched telephony network address of a packet-switched telephony visited function where the subscriber is located; and

the second gateway forwarding the short message to the packet-switched telephony visited function where the subscriber is located.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising forwarding the short message from the packet-switched telephony visited function where the subscriber is located to the subscriber terminal.

3. A method of delivering a short message over a packet-switched telephony network comprising:

receiving a short message, including a subscriber identification which identifies a packet-switched telephony subscriber to receive the short message;

forwarding the short message and subscriber identification to a first gateway function;

the first gateway function obtaining subscriber location information from the subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched telephony home function, the location information including a packet-switched telephony network address of a second gateway function through which the subscriber can be reached;

forwarding the short message and the subscriber identification to the second gateway function;

the second gateway function identifying a cellular network address of a cellular visited function where the subscriber is located; and

the second gateway forwarding the short message to the cellular visited function where the subscriber is located.

4. The method of claim 3 and further comprising forwarding the short message from the cellular visited function where the subscriber is located to the subscriber terminal.

5. A method of delivering a short message over a packet-switched telephony network comprising:

receiving a short message, including a subscriber identification which identifies a cellular subscriber to receive the short message;

forwarding the short message and subscriber identification to a first gateway function;

the first gateway function obtaining subscriber location information from the subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched telephony home function, the location information including a packet-switched telephony address of a second gateway function through which the subscriber can be reached;

forwarding the short message and the subscriber identification to the second gateway function;

the second gateway function using a dynamic mapping obtained during registration to identify a cellular address of a cellular visited function where the subscriber is located; and

the second gateway forwarding the short message to the cellular visited function where the subscriber is located.

6. A method of delivering a short message over a packet-switched telephony network comprising:

receiving a short message at a cellular network short message service center, including a subscriber identification which identifies a cellular subscriber to receive the short message;

forwarding the short message from the message service center to a gateway function including the subscriber identification;

obtaining from the subscriber'"'"'s cellular home function a cellular address of a gateway function where the subscriber can be reached;

forwarding the short message and the subscriber identification to the gateway function;

the gateway function using a dynamic mapping obtained during registration to identify a packet-switched telephony address of a packet-switched telephony visited function where the subscriber is located based on the subscriber identification;

the gateway function sending the short message to the packet-switched telephony visited function where the subscriber is located.

7. A method of delivering a short message over a packet-switched telephony network comprising:

receiving a short message at a packet-switched telephony short message service center, including a subscriber identification which identifies a packet-switched telephony subscriber to receive the short message;

forwarding the short message from the message service center to a gateway function including the subscriber identification;

obtaining from the subscriber'"'"'s packet-switched telephony home function a packet-switched telephony address of a gateway function where the subscriber can be reached;

forwarding the short message and the subscriber identification to the gateway function;

the gateway function using a dynamic mapping obtained during registration to identify a cellular address of a cellular visited function where the subscriber is located based on the subscriber identification;

the gateway function sending the short message to the cellular visited function where the subscriber is located.